Groovy, moddish, magnificent and sunny girl pop from The Land Of The Rising Sun – pummeling drums, jumping arrangements and groovy vocals from the mid-to-late 60s Japanese scene! This is fantastic stuff, any kitch or novelty appeal you might be expecting is kind of muted by the exceptional quality and excellent performances – but it is flat out fun! As the title states, strains of pop, beat & bossa – plus mod & psychedelic fuzz – and the vocals girl group vocals are bright, rocking, playful or sultry or innocent depending on the groove! 25 tracks in all: "Black Room by Jun Mayuzumi, Sharock No 1" by Mie Nakao, "Nagisa No Tenshi" by Mieko Hirota, "Hatsu Koi No Letter" by Miki Obata, "Bazazz Tengoku" by The Cupids, "Aeba Suki Suki" by Margaret With Bunnys, "Nukui Aitsu" by Mika Nohira, "Kiiro No Sekai" by J Girls and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Mad sounds from the late 60s world of Japanese pop – a mindblowing, ear-opening batch of singles we never would have gotten our hands on otherwise! The music here feels like sounds coming out of some backroom jukebox in a Nikkatsu "new action" film – or maybe the kind of offbeat pop that Quentin Tarantino might throw into a soundtrack – but there's also a much deeper range of sounds going on than you might expect, with wonderfully clever instrumentation, and lots of surprisingly heartfelt passages in the vocals! And sure, the language might be a barrier – but there's a really universal sense of appeal to this music – a variant of 60s soul and pop, focused through a different sort of lense – and the instrumentation alone is great – with wicked guitars, Hammond, and other garagey touches! As usual with Ace, the whole thing's supported with nicely detailed notes that tell the whole story behind these wonderful lost gems (we like this one even better than the fab first volume) – and titles include "Namida No Go Go" by Emy Jackson & Blue Comets, "Koi Gurui" by Chiyo Okumura, "Tokyo No Hito" by The Peanuts, "Warui Kuse" by Kazumi Yasui, "Boy & Girl" by Akiko Wada, "Namida No Mori No Monogatari" by Akiko Nakamura, "Saike Na Machi" by Reiko Mari, "Bazazz No 1" by Kayoko Ishuu, and "Furi Furi 5" by Linda Yamamoto. CD

A sweet sampling of late 60s psyche from the American underground – a collection of work by different groups who represent some of the most obscure artists on the Mainstream label at the time – fleshed out here with a slew of bonus tracks that more than doubles the running time of the original album! The work here is all generally pretty hard rocking – heavy on guitars, with lots of fuzz – sometimes in support of sweeter-styled lyrics and a dreamier, more melodic feel, other times set to darker and more hallucinatory themes. The 12 original album tracks include "Hungry Women" and "No Me Tomorrow" by Euphoria, "Wind Dream" and "Baby Dear" by The Wildflower, "My Dear & Kind Sir" and "I Think I'm Down" by The Harbinger Complex, and "Walking Down The Road" and "Streetcar" by The Other Side. There's a stunning 13 bonus tracks (!!!) – mono single versions of Wild Flower, Otherside, Euphoria and Harbinger Complex tracks and mid 60s cuts by alternate Mainstream & Brent combos The New Dawn, The Word, The Ban, Thee Unusuals and The Ariel! Includes "Slave Of Desire" by New Dawn, "Now It's Over" and "So Little Time" by The Word, "Place Of Sin" by The Word, "I Could Go On" by Thee Unusuals and more. Includes a 24-page booklet with group histories and other notes. Killer! CD

A sweet little set of some of the Jazz Crusaders' best sides from the 60s – a hip swinging selection of short, tight, and very well played soul jazz numbers – grooving hard in a way that was very big with the jukebox and jazz AM crowd! The set list features a good mix of originals and covers – all expertly played with a tightly snapping groove that never misses a beat. Titles include "The Young Rabbits", "Hey Jude", "Tough Talk", "It's Your Thing", "Freedom Sound", "Love & Peace", "The Thing", and "Ooga Boo Ga Loo". LP, Vinyl record album

If you only know Gladys Knight from her Motown classics, or her big hits of the early 70s, you'll find a huge amount to discover here – because right from the start, the lady and her group were really something special! The idea of a male/female vocal group was a bit unique in the early 60s – not completely uncommon, but never handled with the perfection of Gladys Knight & The Pips – as the mixture of Knight's richly soulful lead and the harmonies of the trio of male singers was incredible – captured very strongly by Harlem producer Bobby Robinson, with singles that appeared on his own Fire/Fury label, and Vee Jay as well! There have been other sets that bring together work from this time, but this might be the most complete we've ever seen – 40 tracks in all, with a few alternates, and a few solo tracks by The Pips as well – titles that include "Operator", "Come See About Me", "Go Away Stay Away", "Who Knows", "Walking In Circles", "Jungle Love", "Linda", "Darling", "One More Lonely Night", "Every Beat Of My Heart", "Room In Your Heart", "It Hurts So Bad", "Letter Full Of Tears", "The Devil In Me", "Daybreak", "Lovers Always Forgive", and "How Do You Say Goodbye". CD

Killer work from one of the best 60s soul talents of the Windy City! Major Lance was one of Chicago's first big soul stars – crossing over big on the charts with huge hits for the Okeh label during the early and mid 60s – thanks to some great tunes penned by Curtis Mayfield, and stellar production from the legendary Carl Davis! In a way, Lance's sound was a key culmination of the modes that had been bubbling under in the hometown indies like Vee Jay and Chess – taken slightly to the next level, and brought more into the mainstream by Okeh. Many of the arrangements here are by the massive Johnnie Pate – who gives the record the same sort of brilliance as the best 60s Impressions work on ABC – and the titles include "Ain't No Soul", "Investigate", "Um Um Um Um Um Um", "The Monkey Time", "Wait Till I Get You In My Arms", "Delilah", "Rhythm", "Hey Little Girl", "It's The Beat", "The Matador", "Ain't It A Shame", "You Don't Want Me No More", "You Belong To Me My Love", and "Sometimes I Wonder". CD

This is a pretty jazzy record compared to the usual Mancini soundtrack-type stuff. It's mostly mellow the whole way through and has some very nice moments due to the quality of the playing. His orchestra includes such folks as Pete Condoli on trumpet, Dick Nash on trombone, Johnny Williams on piano, Victor Feldman on vibes & marimba and Larry Bunker on vibes. There is only one Mancini original – "The Beat" – and the others are jazz standards such as "Misty", "After Hours", "Mood Indigo", "Tippin In", "Sing, Sing, Sing", and "Big Noise From Winnetka". LP, Vinyl record album

Riz Ortolani is best known for his big scores of the 60s – but here, the maestro turns in two early 80s soundtracks – one sci-fi, one horror – both with a very distinct vibe! First up is I Guerrieri Dell'Anno 2072, a soundtrack that has some "future" elements in its use of 80s keyboards, but which also balances things with warmer currents – with a result that's almost like the way that the sound library scene was changing right at the start of the 80s – particularly in the way that KPM or DeWolfe were introducing electric elements amidst more familiar instrumentation. In other words, the set's not a straight keyboard/guitar score, as in the Goblin generation – but certainly nods to that shift. La Casa Sperduta Nel Parco is much more varied – a short score, but with tunes that move between disco groovers, to creepy lullabies, to some very dark-toned moments – all in a relatively short space! 2CD set features 23 tracks in all – including two bonus tracks from the 45rpm single for I Guerrieri Dell'Anno 2072. CD

Incredible earlier work from Johnny Otis and other great players – the first volume in Ace's Johnny Otis Story – in a number of settings with players including The Robins, Little Esther, Big Mama Thornton, The Jayos, The Sheiks and others! Remarkable, formative west coast rhythm & blues that really sounds great – from stripped down formations to bigger R&B orchestra numbers that are just as incredible – cut for Modern, Savoy, Peacock, Mercury, Dig, Federal and other labels. 25 tracks: "Johnny Otis Signature", "Good Old Blues" with Pete Guitar Lewis, "Double Crossing Blues" with The Robins & Little Esther, "Oopy-Doo", "Cattle Train" with Jimmy "Hurricane Edwards" Beasley, "Shake It Lucy Baby", "Buy Bye Baby" with Marie Adams, "Ma (He's Making Eyes At Me)", "Every Beat Of My Heart" with The Royals and more, building up to '58's huge "Willie And The Hand Jive". CD

Essential grooves from Tito Puente – a really unique record for the time, and a set that's only grown in power over the years! The album's an all-percussion jam from Puente – one that strips away most other instrumentation, to focus just on heavy drum work from Puente and a core group of players that includes Mongo Santamaria, Willie Bobo, and Patato Valdes! There's only just a bit of bass – played by Robert Rodriguez – to focus the energy of the percussion, and the timbales, congas, and bongos offer up both melodic lines and rhythmic grooves – a groundbreaking sound, recorded brilliantly back in the 50s! The album's got a killer stripped-down feel that you rarely get on other Tito Puente records – and tracks include "Tito on Timbales", "Swinging Mambo", "Congo Beat", "Sticks On Bongo", "Tito & Mongo On Timbales", "Four Beat Mambo", and "The Big Four". LP, Vinyl record album

A hard-driving big band set from Buddy Rich – recorded with one of his groovy 60s lineups! The live date features work brom Bobby Shew on trumpet and Ernie Watts on alto – and titles include "Wack Wack", "Norwegian Wood", "The Beat Goes On", and "Mexicali Nose". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful album from George Russell – and a refreshing change from his overly-academic modernist work! The session's an unusual one – a musical portrait of New York City, performed with an all-star cast that includes John Coltrane, Art Farmer, Bill Evans, Phil Woods, Benny Golson, Max Roach, and Hal McKusick – all working together to paint tones on the tunes that George has crafted to set up his scene of New York in the 50s. Most importantly, though, Jon Hendricks acts as the narrator of the album – talking and scatting in hipster mode, laying out a bit of beat rapportage about the Big Apple, all done in a very cool 50s style that's a bit different from his own vocal work. Titles include "Manhattan", "Big City Blues", "Manhattan-Rico", and "A Helluva Town". LP, Vinyl record album

The RZA's fine second phase career as a top notch soundtrack maestro continues with Afro Samurai – the music for the anime/blacksploitation hybrid starring Samuel L Jackson – and a varied batch of tracks that's really a lot more than the typical Ghost Dog/early Wu Tang style beats you might be expecting! Naturally, RZA does bring plenty of martial arts style and soul beat instrumentals, but there are also a lot of vocal cuts – which run the gamut from raw freestyle-like bits to atmospheric r&b. GZA drops in, as do pioneers Big Daddy Kane and Q-Tip! Titles include "Afro Theme" with rhymes by RZA, "Certified Samurai" feat Talib Kweli, Lil Free & Suga Bang, "Just A Little Dude" feat Q-Tip & Free Murder, "Oh" and "The Walk" feat Stone Mecca, "Cameo Afro" feat Big Daddy Kane, GZA & Suga Bang, "Take Sword Pt 1" with RZA & Berretta 9 and more vocal tracks, plus the instrumentals "Afro Intro", "Afro's Father Fight", "The Empty 7 Theme", "Afro Samurai Theme (First Part and Second Part)" and more. Several bonus tracks, too, billed as Bobby Digital! CD

A heavy package of work from the legendary Skyy – the funky club combo headed by Randy Muller after his work with BT Express and Brass Construction! With Skyy, Muller honed his groove even more than before – creating a really tight focus on bass-heavy bottoms, and focusing all instruments in the group into a solidly soaring sound that showed that funk was alive and well on the dancefloor – even well beyond the disco years – as you'll hear in this collection of work that not only includes Salsoul Records classics by Skyy, but also later work for Capitol and Warner too. The 2CD set really runs the gamut of Skyy sounds – and links their disco material with some great later 80s grooves too – on titles that include "The Groove Is Bad", "First Time Around (12" mix)", "Call Me", "Let's Celebrate (12" mix)", "Real Love", "Up & Over", "Start Of A Romance", "Givin It To You (12" special mix)", "Bad Boy (12" version)", "When You Touch Me", "Get Into The Beat", "Movin Violation", "Let Love Shine (12" version)", "You Got Me Up", "Love Plane", "Skyyzoo (12" mix)", "Fallin In Love Again", "Disco Dancin", and "Superlove". CD

A big moment for the British ska scene – and the soundtrack to a film that featured live work by nearly all of the big names at the time! The album features live work by artists who owed a lot to 2 Tone, but who'd even moved onto bigger fame by the film – but who are working here in a nice back-to-basics mode – and titles include live versions of "Concrete Jungle", "Man At C&A", and "Nite Klub" by The Specials; "Mirror In The Bathroom", "Big Shot", and "Ranking Full Stop" by The English Beat; "Inner London Violence" and "Lip Up Fatty" by Bad Manners; "Easy Life" by The Bodysnatchers; and "Razor Blade Alley" and "One Step Beyond" by Madness. LP, Vinyl record album

Lost work from a really obscure period in the career of Mavis Staples – post-Stax, but before her big revival of later years – and a date that has her working with the Holland Dozier Holland time in a mighty nice mode! The classic Mavis vocals are very firmly in place, but the record's also got a warmer glow than usual – great arrangements from Jesse Saunders, who again comes to the record as a bit of a surprise – but really helps make a setting that's very fresh for the Staples sound, especially if you've heard as many records by Mavis as us! The style is great – almost like some of the coolest southern/modern soul blends of the period – and titles include "Love Gone Bad", "Show Me", "Falling In Love", "Beat Well Done", "See What You Started", and "Holding On To Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Wow! This record takes all the directions that soul was heading towards in the early 80s, and wraps them into one record! System has it all – geri curls, bass pedal riffing, tinny synth drums, over-produced flanged-out vocals, and tinny but catchy little tunes that were designed to cross over with the "hot mix" crowd in a big way. Tracks include "It Takes 2", "Big City Beat", "I Don't Run From Danger", "My Radio Rocks", and "Did In By A Friend". LP, Vinyl record album

A well-titled set from the lyrical king – the mighty T La Rock, one of the key mid 80s MCs who helped introduce a whole new level of sophistication to hip hop! T La Rock maybe never hit the heights of KRS-One, Rakim, or other contemporaries – but this set has all the sharp fire and intensity that made that moment of new creativity so great – from the edgey production work and scratches by Louie Lou, to the extra help from Mantronik, and even the album's early appearances by Special K and MC Serch – which further the sense of collaboration from the streets that made some of the Fresh Records sets so great. Titles include "Lyrical King", "Back To Burn", "Three Minutes Of Beat Box", "Bust These Lyrics", "This Beat kicks", "Big Beat In London", and "It's Time To Chill". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge package – four full albums by this excellent soul group – plus lots of bonus tracks too! First up is Hand Clappin Foot Stompin Funky Butt Live – filled with sockin soul from Geno Washington – an ex-American marine who recorded to big fame in the UK in the late 60s – working with the legendary Ram Jam Band, an act that rivaled some of the best American combos of the southern party circuit at the time! The approach here is certainly soul-based, but it's also something different – given the actual overseas origin of the recording – and in a way, the record's a perfect example of the influence that African-American military had in Europe in the 60s – as their presence on the continent really helped to shape and authenticate the sounds of some already-willing overseas combos. Geno's vocals are great, and the tracks are all upbeat and lively – very much what you'd expect from the title! Titles include "Philly Dog", "Ride Your Pony", "Road Runner", "Up Tight", "Land Of 1000 Dance", "Que Sera Sera", "Get Down With It", and "Willy Nilly". Shake A Tail Feather is a hard-smoking album that bears all the best 60s hallmarks of Geno Washington and his Ram Jam Band! The album's not as much a live effort as the previous two, but still keeps all the best spontaneous qualities in the music – a feel that really makes you think that Washington and the band were just partying in the studio, rattling the tunes off as they came to them – with all the confidence and swagger earned from a never-ending stream of gigs in the UK! Titles include "Raise Your Hand", "You Got Me Hummin", "Tell It Like It Is", "Use Me", "Understanding", "Knock On Wood", "I'm Your Puppet", "Who's Foolin Who", and "Hold On To My Love". CD also features 7 more bonus tracks – including "Seven Eleven", "Alison Please", "Each & Every Part Of Me", "Give Em A Hand", and "Dirty Dirty". Next is Hipsters Flipsters Finger Poppin Daddies – a bit of soul, a bit of R&B, a bit of beat group grooving – all wrapped up in a classic 60s set from Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band! Geno's American roots are inflected and appreciated strongly here – not just by the Ram Jam combo, who groove things up with plenty of influences from Atlantic and Sue Records – but also by the audience, who seem to go even more crazy for Geno than the crowds at the Apollo did for James Brown! Washington's vocals are somewhat rough and raspy – perhaps not the instant hit sort of sound for the US market, but a perfect fit for the rougher-edged grooves going on here – partyful soul that's never too poised, and which features lots of covers of 60s classics throughout. Titles include "Herk's Works", "Day Tripper", "I Can't Turn You Loose", "Shotgun", "Raise Your Hand", "Who's Foolin Who", "It's A Wonder", and "Wild Thing". Last up is one more live album – Runnin Wild – with 11 more tracks that include "Rock Me Baby (parts 1 & 2)", "High Heel Sneakers/Mary Ann", "Knock On Wood", "I Take What I Want", "Gimme A Little Sign/Raise Your Hand", "I Got You Babe", and "I Get So Excited". Plus, the package features 33 more bonus tracks – including later singles, rare b-sides, and some EP-only tracks! CD

An incredible album – one of the greatest rock albums of the 60s, and a record we'd place right up there on the shelf next to Pet Sounds or Forever Changes! The arrangements are sublime – proof that the Zombies were growing way past just a simple Brit Invasion style, into a world of complicated orchestrations, subtle songwriting, and some of the most baroquely beautiful vocals ever recorded in the service of pop music! The whole thing's amazing – the kind of essential record we never tire of – and tracks include "Changes", "Care of Cell 44", "Rose For Emily", "Hung Up On A Dream", "Friends Of Mine", and "Butcher's Tale". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic collection that looks at the relationship between American soul and reggae in a very unique way – not the early crossovers of soul and rocksteady in the 60s, but a big wave of disco-inspired sounds in the 70s! The set brings together some great Jamaican and British versions of American club tracks from the late 70s and early 80s, plus some soul cuts from earlier years – often done with rhythms that are slower and more bad-stepping, in a true reggae mode – but with songs and lyrics that are lifted right from bit hits by artists like Chaka Khan, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, and others! The mix of modes is wonderful – and maybe comes across even better than on some of the Afro disco records of the period – thanks to a great track selection, in the usual Soul Jazz standard. Titles include "I'm Every Woman" by Latisha, "In The Rain" by rRnest Ranglin, "Reggae Beat Goes On" by Family Choice, "Ring My Bell" by Blood Sisters, "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough" by Derrick Laro & Trinity, "Do It Nice & Easy" by Chariot Riders, "Don't Let It Go To Your Head" by Black Harmony, "Upside Down" by Carol Cool, "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" by Sharon Forrester, "Rappers Delight" by Xanadu & Sweet Lady, "Ain't No Stopping Us Now" by Risco Connection, "Am I The Same Girl" by Charmaine Burnette, and "Be Thankful For What You Got" by One Blood. LP, Vinyl record album

A really great collection of jazzy groovers – one that effortlessly combines older material and newer recordings, all with a great ear that never tires in its pursuit of the groove! The blend of old and new is a bit like some of the collections we used to love from Gilles Peterson back in the last century – but Paul Murphy definitely has his own style and way of choosing a tune, and like Peterson, he has a great way of setting a new sort of fire with jazz – one that will burn strongly for generations to come! Titles include "Yatra-Ta" by Terje Terasmaa, "African Mailman" by Rhythmagic Orchestra, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Blue Mode, "Foot In The Door" by Onward International, "Zombie" by Art Ensemble Of Chicago, "Emnete (live)" by Imperial Tiger Orchestra, "4 Beat Cha Cha Cha" by Lucas Van Merwijk & His Cubop City Big Band, "Tribute To Mulatu" by Patchworks, "Koumba Fri Fri" by Mamelon, "Sorrow Tears & Blood" by Shola Adisa Farrar & Florian Pellissier Quartet, and "Mambo De La Pinta" by Art Pepper. LP, Vinyl record album

British rock, but with plenty of soul – as these artists were some of the first in the world to be influenced by the sound of early Motown Records – then set about trying to create their own strand of Detroit soul! The influence of Motown on the sound of so many other scenes has been well documented over the years – but this cool little set gets right to the heart of the matter – by representing the kind of British singers and groups who were some of the first to revel in the spirit of Berry Gordy and his creations – then find a way to move things forward with new recordings of their own! As always with Ace Records, the set is way more than just music – as there's a big booklet of notes, with details on all the many tracks and artists – a double dozen selection, with tracks that includes "Sweet Thing" by Georgie Fame, "Mickey's Monkey" by The Hollies, "No 1 In Your Heart" by Herbie Goins & The Nighttimers, "Heat Wave" by Beverley Jones & The Prestons, "One Of These Days" by Guy Darrell, "I Want To Go Back There Again" by Bill Kenwright & The Runaways, "The Way You Do The Things You Do" by Elkie Brooks, "I'll Be Doggone" by Billy J Kramer with The Dakotas, "As Long As I Know He's Mine" by Julie Grant, "Money" by The Undertakers, "I Want A Love I Can See" by John Leyton & The LeRoys, "Stubborn Kind Of Fellow" by The Roulettes, "Every Little Bit Hurts" by Spencer Davis Group, "You Really Got A Hold On Me" by Small Faces, "Never Leave Your Baby's Side" by Tony Jackson, "No Good Without You" by The Birds, and "Let's Go Somewhere" by Beryl Marsden. CD

One of the coolest projects we've heard from Rich Medina in years – a killer compilation that brings together older Afro Funk tracks from the 70s with a big amount of cuts from more contemporary years – all with a blend that pushes the spirit of the continent way out into the cosmos! Medina's always been one of the most forward-thinking artists in the underground – and you can definitely hear that quality in this set – as Rich effortlessly steps back and forth in space and time, to create a unified sound that bristles with electricity, while still reveling in all the key acoustic elements from the 70s. Titles include "For The People" by Aquil, "Bango Fields" by Kutiman, "For Real (2011 edition Atjazz rmx)" by Atjazz, Olodumare" by Wale Oyejide, "Bushman" by Asiko Afrobeat Ensemble, "Stalemate" by Fela & The Afrika 70, "Jungle Beat (Mutaba)" by Sir Victor Uwaifo & His Melody Maestroes, "Soul Makossa" by Original Nairobi Afro Band, "Why Can't We Live Together (Sao Benitez BV dub)" by River Oceaon, and "Na Oil" by Seun Kuti & Fela's Egypt 80. CD

A beautiful batch of jazzy grooves, and even better than the first volume! This stuff's all super-rare, and culled from strange European sources – and the cuts have more of a jazz-groove than an easy-groove kind of sound, in a way that's different from some of the other Italian comps we've been stocking. The set includes a number of fuzzy guitar groovers by The Revelations – like "Sweet Daniela", "Soul - III", and "Lively" – plus a cool version of "The Beat Goes On", sung by Dee Dee Bridgewater. Other stuff include "Alameda" by Luciano Simoncini, "Los Palos" by Hingross, "Strictly For Beat" by Big Band Sound, and "Sgambata" by Remigio Ducros. Nice nice stuff, and worth the wait! CD

Rare demo work from Heiroglyphics legend Casual – done before the release of his classic album Fear Itself, and presented here as a great prequel to that much-loved record! The tracks have a great edge – spare samples that work perfectly with the straightforward beats – as the man himself spins out well-crafted rhymes that maybe seem to have even more bite without the heavier production of a bigger studio! Titles include "Me O Mi O (Domino rmx)", "Gotta Lotta", "Fear No Evil", "Where They At", "Can You Feel It", and "Rippers", which features work from Opio and Tajai. LP, Vinyl record album

A great later album from Change – not nearly as well-known as their first few hits, but still in that all-solid approach to the groove that was the Change trademark during the early 80s! The sound is a bit more stripped down than before – tight beats and keyboards, mostly in a mellow to midtempo mode – all topped with vocals from male and female members of the group! Change still have a great way with a hook here – an approach to soul that's tight and professional, yet not nearly as cloying as some of the chart-climbing acts of their generation. And as before, the keyboards are almost as great as the vocals – with slight jazzy inflections that warm up the tunes nicely! Titles include "Turn On Your Radio", "Examination", "Let's Go Together", "Oh What A Feeling", "Mutual Attraction", "If You Want My Love", and "Love The Way You Love Me". CD features 7 bonus tracks too – including "Let's Go Together (12" Paul Hardcastle rmx)", "Mutual Attraction (12" Nick Martinelli rmx)", "Oh What A Feeling (12" Paul Hardcastle rmx)", "Let's Go Together (single)", "Mutual Attraction (single)", "Turn On Your Radio (single)", and "Mutual Attraction (inst)". CD

A rare gem from Rosemary Clooney, and a great set done with arranger Nelson Riddle – grooving nicely in a bigger band mode, but inflected with plenty of great Riddle touches on the instrumentation – in a way that matches the playful quality of Rosie's vocals! The overall sound is quite dynamic – especially on the horns, which often step out in some unusual blasts of sound – and Clooney sounds equally great on both the ballads and the upbeat, highly-swinging numbers. Titles include "Shine On Harvest Moon", "By Myself", "Angry", "I Get Along Without You Very Well", "April In Paris", and "How Am I To Know". CD

Wild stuff! White singer Wayne Cochran looks like he should be a rockabilly star – right down to his big ol' pompadour haircut – but this early album of his for Chess is actually a tight batch of groovers that holds a nice appeal to fans of late 60s funk! Cochran's got a raw Wilson Pickett-ish sound to his voice, and the CC Riders vamp behind him in a nice tight way that's similar to a lot of the mixed race groups backing up other southern soul stars from the time. Includes the breakbeat version of "Little Bitty Pretty One", plus "Big City Woman", "Get Down With It", "Boom Boom", and "Get Ready". Nice gatefold, too – filled with wild pictures of Wayne, and a recommendation from Jackie Gleason! LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection of work from Ray Columbus – a New Zealand rocker of mid 60s vintage, but one who works here with mod sounds to rival much bigger names in London at the time! The collection begins with a core set of work by Ray Columbus & The Invaders – a super-sharp combo who have this sense of energy and fire that's a bit like Paul Revere & The Raiders, but more tuned towards beat group sounds – boundless energy that makes the rest of the combo a perfect fit for Ray's spirited lead vocals. The set then moves into solo material that Columbus recorded on his own, and with groups The Challenge, The Art Collection, and Fire – all with stylistic shifts that follow some of the British forays into trippier sounds after the initial beat boom – or some more compelling, more sophisticated material that Columbus really carries off well as a solo act. Titles include "She's A Mod", "I'm Finding Out", "She's Back Again", "Till We Kissed", "We Want A Beat", "In Memory Of Today", "Happy In A Sad Kind Of Way", "Los Angeles", "I'm Good For You", "Polka Dot Resistance", "Kick Me", and "East Pinkerton Street". CD

Dabrye returns with more a richer, fuller set of spacey hip hop than the preceding One/Three – this one with a stellar roster of guests including Jay Dee, MF Doom, Beans, Vast Aire, Waajeed of Platinum Pied Pipers, Big Tone, Phat Kat and more! This one stood out for it's unique mix of straight forward, timeless rhymes from the guests and Dabyre's production – reinterpreting classic headnodding boombap with lean, but prominent beats and spacey synth atmosphere – and it's just as fresh all these years later! 20 tracks in all: "The Stand" feat Wildchild, "Air" feat Doom, "Machines Pt 1", "Encoded Flow" feat Kadence, "That's What's Up" feat Vast Aire, "Tell Dem", "Nite Eats Day" feat Beans, "Jorgy" feat Waajeed, "Bloop", "Piano", "Get It Together" feat Invincible, "My Life" feat AG, "Get Live" feat Big Tone, "Machines Pt 2, "Game Over" feat Jay Dee & Phat Kat and more! CD

Incredible work from Chocolate Star – less a group than a record label or project name used for some excellent underground club recordings from the late 70s and early 80s! Gary Davis is the real brainchild here – keyboardist, songwriter, and main spiritual force behind the music – but Peter Brown also played a big hand in some of the initial Chocolate Star sessions too, and there's a definite P&P groove to most of this work! The Chocolate Star touch is perhaps best known on the classic club track "Got To Get Your Love" by Clyde Alexander & Sanction – but it's even better on the more obscure work throughout the entire package – an array of tunes that run from funky club to other modes that include mellow soul, old school hip hop, and even some very spare tracks that mostly just have keyboards and beats! Titles include "Gee Dee", "Last Night", "Stay With Me", "Time For Love Is Now", "Super Jake", "Got To Get Your Love", "The Professor Here", "The Pop", "Gotta Get Your Love (Kenny Dope rmx)", "The Pop (12")", "The Professor Is Space Walking", and "Gee Dee (alt mix)". CD